This invention relates to a fish tape reel of the type used to fish electrical and telephone cable through conduit. The fish tape is generally made of steel or fiberglass. Several types of fish tape reels are known. One type, exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. 4,092,780 discloses for use in an electrical fish tape reel assembly which includes a generally annular tape-receiving chamber peripherally bounded by a pair of axially opposed lips adapted to separate to permit winding and unwinding of a fish tape in the chamber. A tape winder is mounted between the lips so as to project outside of the reel o its outer wall and constructed to be moved peripherally around the reel between the lips. A tape passage through the tape winder permits passage of the tape. A handle is provided for holding the reel. The tape passage directed outwardly through the winder at an oblique angle to the radius of the reel and extends through the counter chamber for passage of the tape the tape passage including an inlet passage on the inside of the winder and an outlet passage on the outside thereof spaced from each other to provide an aligned rectilinear path for a free span of tape in the counter chamber. As the handle is moved around the periphery of the reel, the lips spread to permit passage of the tape. Such a product is made by Ideal Industries.
Another reel uses two solid pie pan-shaped shells attached together to form an inner compartment within which the fish tape is contained. A hole in one of the shells permits the fish tape to be pulled from and into the compartment. The hole is positioned on one of the major sides of the reel. Such a reel is made by Lancier Inc.
The prior art design which permits the lips of the reel to spread to permit the fish tape to exit is relatively complicated, since it also includes a handle with a lock on it which is subject to breakage and wear. The tape is manipulated on the outer peripheral wall of the reel, exposing it to damage such as from dropping or other heavy impact. Since the lips of the reel are always open at some point on the outer peripheral wall of the reel, dirt and other contaminants can easily enter, causing additional wear as well as greater friction making the tape more difficult to extend and retract.
The prior art design which extends the fish tape through the side wall is simpler to operate, but also exposes the tape to damage, since it is exposed on one of the major surfaces of the reel. Another disadvantage of this design is that it is not "ambidextrous." This means simply that tape may not be fed from the reel to either side. Thus, care must be taken to correctly orient the reel side-to-side or top-to-bottom.
Because of safety considerations fiberglass tapes are now commonly used in place of steel because of their non-conductivity of electricity. Fiberglass tapes are more prone to breakage and must be repaired by splicing the tape. No known prior art fish tape reel provides a convenient place for storing small tools, tubes of adhesive and similar accessories typically used to repair in the field broken fiberglass fish tapes.
The design shown described in this application and claimed in the claims provides a means of protecting the fish tape from breakage and damage, is ambidextrous, and provides a convenient means of storing small tools, tubes of adhesive and similar accessories typically used to repair in the field broken fiberglass fish tapes.